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A Furniture Redo with a Twist

I don’t often haunt the furniture section of Goodwill. You can usually find me in the housewares or linens instead. But on this particular day, I strayed from the norm and roamed the furniture corner. And thank goodness I did, because I found this sad little footstool that needed my help.

Why did I like him so much, even though his woven top was crumbling in my fingers? Because for a small piece, he was HEFTY. All solid wood (except for the rope top) and sturdy- no wobbling! So, I knew he was a quality piece…and I had a hunch that I could rectify the top situation.

When I brought him home, I had to get rid of that crumbling top because it was a hot mess! But when all of it had been removed, I was left with an awesome little piece…that just needed some TLC.

After deciding to use it in our bedroom, a paint job was in order (creamy white chalk paint). But before we get to the makeover, notice that I took a sliver of wood off the top of each corner leg/post. You’ll see why in a minute!

Ok- the paint was dry and I was ready to give the stool a new top. What to use, what to use…why, a cutting board from my thrift store stash! It fit *almost* perfectly (just a little overhang on each side)- so I sanded it down to remove knife scars and discoloration. THIS is why I needed four flat surfaces on the footstool leg posts!

After the cutting board was smooth and clean, I gave it a rich stain to contrast against the off-white footstool base.

I allowed the stained cutting board to dry overnight and then buffed everything (board and stool) with clear wax to protect them and give them a buttery smooth feel.

Last step? Assembly! Now, since I’m just using it to hold stacks of magazines and such, I simply used wood glue to adhere the two pieces together. But if I wanted to use it as a footstool or perhaps a child’s step stool or seat, I would have drilled in screws to connect the two pieces. Doesn’t it look fantastic though?

And it looks delightful in our room- like it was part of the original set! No one will ever know the difference…

6 Comments

Wow! I wouldn’t have given that sad little stool a second look but you have transformed it! Great job! 😁💕

Posted by: Sadie Seasongoods
March 26, 2017 at 10:29 AM

Thank you so much, Barb!!

Posted by: Lesley
March 24, 2017 at 6:45 PM

What a wonderful repurposing project!
I’d love to see more of the detail of how you got that great distressed look on the base, and also the waxing process. In other words, I need a chalk paint tutorial !

Posted by: Sadie Seasongoods
March 26, 2017 at 10:28 AM

Thanks, Lesley!! This post is also on my blog with a few more details, but I took a class (just a single) at a local furniture painting shop. It was great! I learned about brushes, techniques, distressing, waxing, etc. Highly recommend going that route.